Well, I feel like we’re hijacking Worm’s thread, but certainly the vast majority of us in Canada, and presumably the Scandinavian countries, have no reason to believe that the sexual orientation of a candidate has anything to do with their ability to represent their constituents’ interests. Could this be the next glass ceiling in the USA?
We already did, athird of a century ago: Kathy Kozachenko was elected as an open lesbian on the Ann Arbor City Council in 1974.
Or did you mean elected as President?
You sure know your gay leaders…NTTAWWT;)
It just might. And considering the fact that I had now idea ours was a lesbian until they wrote about it in the paper… and then in the format of "she lives with her partner of many years “Girlyname Somethingdaughter”.
But those marriages were exclusively breeding affairs. Like artificial insemination of cows with more clothes and political overtones.
You win, actually - Foss was never elected, he but briefly filled in for Bondevik while he was receiving treatment for a nervuous breakdown. 
She isn’t elected either, per se. It’s a new government after the old one crashed, which will stay in place until we hold new elections in May.
But I’m still taking the win as she’s leading a new government 
Fortuyn was quite liberal my US standards. Indeed, his main immigration plank was that immigration from non-EU countries should be reduced or eliminated in order that existing immigrants could integrate into Dutch culture. It’s a position I strongly agree with and I think it’s a great shame that he was murdered.
Hopefully, the current Icelandic PM won’t be the first openly gay person to be elected. The real hope, however, is that one day it won’t even be a talking point.
I’m confused - why don’t you want her to be elected?
Was the gay vote really important enough to overrule the homophobe vote that he felt he had to do so? That’s interesting.
Eh? You misread or I wasn’t clear. I’d like this not to be a one off, that is, other openly gay politicians are routinely elected.
Okay - I guessed that’s what you meant (given the last sentence of your post) but just wanted to be sure.
Yeah, I meant president. I’d like to buy everyone a beer who elected a lesbian, but that’s a lot of lesbians.
I get gay PMs all the time. I really should turn off private messages.
Well, they don’t call him Captain Amazing for nothing!
I think Peter Mandelson has acheived the highest office in the UK of any openly gay politician. Though his power was more unofficial as he was an advisor to the PM, albeit a very powerful one (famously a “Minister without Portfolio”).
When the election is really close, every little group of voters matters*. And gays/lesbians is usually about 10%, and they are a high-turnout group, so more valuable.
*As for example, in our Minnesota Senate election, differing by 225 votes out of 3 million+ cast.